COUNCIL BLUFFS — Fundraising for the Freedom With Honor project is soaring again.
Supporters slowed their efforts last year as residents dealt with more urgent matters, such as the Missouri River flood and a damaging August hailstorm, said Roger Frieze, project committee co-chairman.
Freedom With Honor is the Council Bluffs motto of a countywide project honoring war veterans with a statue of an eagle in every Pottawattamie County community.
Each community has its own motto and plaza design. The centerpiece of the project is a 42-inch-tall bronze bald eagle created by Neola, Iowa, artists Russ and Penny Christensen.
Ground was broken Nov. 5 at RailsWest Museum, 16th Avenue and Main Street, where the Pottawattamie County statue and plaza will be located.
Approximately $30,000 has been raised for the $150,000 project, Frieze said. Most of that money came from individuals, he added.
There are several ways people can contribute.
The committee is selling engraved bricks for the plaza walls. Those who buy a brick can honor a veteran or anyone with a three-line dedication, at 16 letters per line. The cost is $100.
Those who buy a $250 brick will be recognized at the dedication ceremony.
Donors also can purchase a bronze plaque in various sizes that will be installed on the plaza walls and feature a three-line dedication with 20 letters per line. Costs range from $500 to $2,500.
People also can make a donation without buying a brick or plaque.
Committee members also plan fundraising events, though specific dates will come later.
Some companies and unions have pledged their support, Frieze said. Members of the Nebraska Bricklayers Union have agreed to install the bricks at no charge, he said.
The goal is to have the entire project done and dedicated by Veterans Day.
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